Seeder and fertilizer-distributer.



No. 873,180. PATENTBD DEC. 10, 1907..

J. A. INGRAM.

SEEDER AND FERTILIZER DISTRIB'UTER.

APPLICATION FILED PEB8.1907.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED DEC. 10, 1907.

J. A. INGRAM. I SEEDBR AND FERTILIZER DISTRIBUTER.

4 SHEETS-SHEBT 2.

APPLICATION FILED P111318, 1907.

THE NORRIS PETERS co., WASHINGTON n. c.

PATENIED DEC. 10, 1907. J. A. INGRAM. SEBDER AND FERTILIZER DISTRIBUTER APPLIOATION FILED FEB, 851907.

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rs: NORRIS PETERS co., wAsHmc'mN, n. c.

PATENTED DEC. 10, 1907.

J.- A. INGRAM.

S-BBDER AND FERTILIZER DISTRIBUTER. APPLIQATION FILED FEB.8,1907.

4 swims-SHEET 4.

711:. NORRIS PETERS co, umsnmwon, :1 av

FFIQE.

JESSE A. INGRAM, OF AVERY, TEXAS.

SEEDER AND FERTILIZER-DISTRIBUTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 10, 1907.

Application filed February 8, 1907. Serial No. 356.298.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Jnssn A. INGRAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Avery, in the county of Red River, State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in Seeders and F ertilizer- Distributers, and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact de scription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to combined seeders and fertilizer distributors, and the primary object of the invention is to provide an implement of this class which will effectually perform its function of dropping first a predetermined amount of seed and directly afterwards a predetermined amount of fertilizer. A common disadvantage found in planters of this and other specific classes is that the fertilizer or seed, when damp, clog in the distributing mechanism and render the operation of the machine ineffective and even if the fertilizer or seed distributing mechanism does not become clogged, it at best performs its function unevenly. Not only does my invention involve a novel and very ellicient means for obviating this disadvantageous feature, but it also includes means for quickly throwing the distributing mechanism into and out of gear. V

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts shown in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the distributer, Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof, Fig. 3 is a detail vertical longitudinal sectional view through the same, Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the gearing for the distributer, Fig. 5 is a detail side elevation of the fertilizer distributing wheel showing the discharge mechanism therefor, parts being broken aw ay to show the operation of this portion of the distributor, and, Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing the seed distributing mechanism.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the frame of the machine is shown as comprising spaced parallel side sills 10 which are curved downwardly at their forward ends and are connected at their said. ends by means of a fixed shaft 11 upon which is ournaled a sleeve shaft 12 carrying a ground Wheel 13 which serves as a means for rotating the shaft 12 during the travel of the machine, and also serves to support the forward. end of the machine.

The fertilizer and seed distributing mechanism, which will be hereinafter described, is, of course, located adjacent the middle of the frame and the rear ends of the side sills 10 are curved downwardly and forwardly and carry cultivator shovels 16. Brace beams 17 and 1S serve to connect the side sills 10 adjacent their rear and front ends respectively and the purpose of these beams will be presently explained.

The distributing mechanism comprises a pair of hoppers '19 and 20 which are located one directly behind the other, the hopper 19 being the foremost one, and these hoppers are designed respectively to contain seed and fertilizer. They are preferably cylindrical in form and are designed to discharge into a chute 21, the chute being directed downwardly and forwardly.

Arranged within the chute are casings 22 and these casings have their sidescut away as at 23 in the arc of a circle and the edges of the cut away portions are flanged as at 24. Journaled in suitable hearings in the sides of the casings is a shaft 26 and this shaft carries within the casings, feeding wheels 28 and 29 respectively. Each of these feeding wheels is provided in its periphery with a number of pockets which are indicated by the numerals 30 and 31 respectively and these pockets are designed to receive or collect a predetermined quantity of seed or fertilizer from the chute in which the wheel is located. and to deposit the same into the common chute 21 when the wheels are rotated.

It has been found in practice that the seeds and fertilizer will pack or clog in the pockets and in order to obviate this feature I have provided in each pocket an ejecting mechanism which will operate automatically as the feeding wheels are rotated. This ejecting device and particularly the form used in connection with the feeding wheel 28, is in the form of a plate 32 which is so arranged within the pockets 30 that it forms a movable bottom for the same and this plate is centered in its pocket by means of a stem extension 33 which projects through the bottom of the pocket and upon which is engaged a spring 33. Upon each side of these plates is journaled a roller 34 which is designed at times to travel along the flanged edge 24 of the cutthe circle in which the cutaway flanged edge 24 is located, is not concentric with the circular feeding wheels but is eccentric thereto and at its middle, nearly approaches the axis of the wheel and it is therefore apparent that as the wheels rotate, the rollers 34 will ride upon this flange and the plates 32 will be depressed to admit of the pockets being filled to their fullest capacity. It will, however, be observed that as soon as the rollers leave the track or flange, the plate 32 will be forcibly ejected, thereby quickly discharging the seed or fertilizer contained in the pocket. The ejecting plates 32 which are used in connection with the seed feeding wheel of the machine have fingers 38 projecting outwardly therefrom and these fingers serve effectually to prevent packing of the seeds or rather aid the ejecting mechanism in the performance of its function.

Upon the shaft 26 there are secured beveled gears 39. At its forward end the shaft 26 is provided with a pinion 42 and journalec upon a shaft 43 carried by the frame is a pinion 44 which meshes with the pinion 42 and this shaft 43 is provided at its rear end with a bore 45 for the reception of the end 46 of a key 47, the key being provided with a lug 48 which seats, at times, in a notch in the shaft and a notch in the gear 44. Arranged within the frame of the machine is a resilient L-shaped plate 51 in which the key 47 is loosely engaged so that it may have a turning movement. Pivotally connected vith this plate is the forward end. of a rod 53 which extends rearwardly and connects with a lever 54. Now it will be understood that in order to retract the key so as to bring the lug 48 thereon out of engagement with the registering notches in the shaft 43 and in the gear, it is only necessary to impart a rearward movement to the lever and. it will also be under stood that this disengagement of the lug from the notches will permit rotation of the shaft without affecting the pinion. N ow in order to clutch the pinion with the shaft, a forward rocking movement is given to the lever so as to seat the lug 48 in the said. notch.

The shaft 43 is formed in two sections which are connected. by means of a sleeve 49 which is formed integrally with the rear section of the shaft and is adapted for the reception of the rear end of the forward section of the shaft, there being a pin 50 interchangeably engageable through openings in the sleeve and the opening in the forward. section of the shaft. The ground wheel 13 may carry a set of three beveled gears and the forward section of the shaft 43 carries at its ex- 1, treme forward end a beveled gear which is l designed to mesh. interchangeably with the gears upon the ground wheel, these gears j being inclosed in a casing and hence not 1 shown, to correspond to the three adjustments obtainable by passing the pin 50 1 through the openings in the sleeve.

Rotatably journaled in the hopper 19 is a vertically disposed shaft 55 carrying stirrer blades 56 and this shaft carries at its lower j end a beveled gear 57 which is in mesh with the forward one of the gears 39 upon the shaft 26. A shaft 58 is journaled in a suitable bracket beneath the hopper 20 and car- I ries at its lower end a beveled gear 59 which is in mesh with the rear one of the gears 39 upon the said shaft 26. The upper end of this shaft 58 projects upwardly through the bottom of the hopper. This shaft is provided in its upper end with a squared socket l 60 in which is seated a squared stud 6]. l formed integral with. the under side of a plate 1 62 which plate includes radial fingers 63 which serve as stirrers as doesalso an arched shaped wire frame 64 which. extends vertically from the plate. This stirring device is to be used. when the seeds are to be discharged through the casings by way of the feeding wheels but when it is desired to plant a less number of seeds at a time, the upper 1 end. of the casing in which the feeding wheel is mounted is closed by means of a slide 65. The upper end of the shaft 58 is provided 1 with a squared portion which is engaged in a rectangular opening formed at the center of a disk 66 which disk is provided with a notch j 67 into which notch is adapted to seat a spring pressed. pawl 68 which is carried by a second disk 69 disposed within the disk 66. The disk 66 is provided with an opening which registers with an opening 70 formed in the bottom of the hopper and the upper disk 69 is provided with a similar opening 71 which is designed to register with the opening in. the disk 66, the disk 69 being held in position to either permit or prevent the discharge of seeds through these openings through the instruinentality of the pawl 68 and its engagement in the notches in the disk 66. A spout 72 leads from the bottom of the hopper 20 and serves to convey seeds discharged through the openings above described beyond the beveled gear 59 and into the chute. While in practice the hoppers are made of i sufficient size for ordinary use, I have found 2 it expedient under some circumstances to provide a secondary hopper which is attachable to the original hopper to increase the ca- 1 pacity of the same. These secondary hoppers for the hoppers 19 and 20 are indicated j by the numerals 73 and 74 respectively and each. secondary hopper has one of its ends reduced and shouldered as at 7 5' to enable it to I be fitted to the upper end of the respective 1 main hopper and. when not in use these secl l l l l ondary hoppers may be inverted and telescoped over their main hoppers so as to be out of the way.

What is claimed is 1. A seed distributing mechanism comprising a hopper mounted for travel and having extended sides, a shaft journaled for rotation beneath the hopper, a feeding wheel fixed upon the shaft for rotation therewith and adapted to rotate between the extended sides of the hopper, the said sides of the hopper being cut away eocentrieally with respect to the said wheel, the wheel being provided with a plurality of peripheral pockets, plates disposed in said pockets for sliding movement therein, stems fixed to the plates and extending through the bottoms of the poek-' ing extended sides, a shaft journaled for rotation beneath the hopper, a feeding wheel fixed upon the shaft for rotation therewith and adapted to rotate between the extended sides of the hopper, the said sides of the hopper being cut away eceentrieally with respect to the said wheel, the wheel being provided with a plurality of peripheral pockets, plates disposed in said pockets for sliding movement therein, stemsiixed to the plates and extending through the bottoms of the pockets, springs engaged upon the stems and adapted to normally hold the stems and the plates at the outward limit of movement, and rollers journaled upon the opposite edges of the plates and adapted to travel along the edges of the cut away portions of the extended sides of the hopper, the said edges being terminated abruptly at the lower ends of the extended sides.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

JESSE A. INGRAM. Vitnesses:

E. M. ADAMS, E. I. BEARDEN. 

